Various methods and systems are known for securely transmitting data products (that is, information or similar virtual or non-physical mediums), encrypting same for transport, or otherwise determining whether the data first sent matches the data as received. In this manner, any tampering of data long a communications or transport network can be identified. The secure transmission of data has become essential to modern enterprises, including for use in business, government and military applications.
Recently, greater attention has been paid to the secure transport of non virtual matter food and substance materials. In a Dec. 3, 2004 Washington Post article, the former Health and Human Services Secretary of the United States, Tommy G. Thompson warned that a terrorist attack on the food supply is an easy target. Based on information from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration presently inspects less than 2% of the food coming into the United States, while 13% of food is imported. Various Homeland Security Newswire reports have identified the concern for safety in the food supply chain, including those entitled, “Food Safety Products: Global Demand to Reach $2.9 Billion in 2014” published Apr. 21, 2010; “Obama Heralds Food Safety Act” published Jul. 8, 2010; and “Regulators Cannot Cope With Food Counterfeiting, Contamination” published Feb. 17, 2009. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved methods and systems for ensuring the safe delivery, transport and storage of materials in the food supply.
Prior art solutions for determining whether a substancesubstance in a container has been tampered with as it is transported through the supply chain have generally been invasive, where the container must be opened to make a determination as to the authenticity of the substance within the container. This is problematic as it takes up a great deal of time, and also cannot be applied to substances that are corrupted when exposed to air, or which must be delivered to an end user in a sealed container. Other prior art solutions rely on on-site laboratory solutions such as infrared spectrometry that are expensive and require a significant amount of overhead. Furthermore, the container must be opened, or the testing mechanisms are not easily transportable, or able to be applied at different points in the supply chain.
Some examples of such problems associated with counterfeit substances exist in the industrial chemical, alcohol, consumer products industries, and consumer cosmetics industries such as perfumes. Counterfeit products are unregulated and often pose public health risks, as is the case with counterfeit baby formula and wine and spirits, as well as damaging the goodwill associated with a company's brand and negatively affecting the producer (brand) company's profits. There is a further need in the art for improved methods and systems for ensuring the safe delivery, transport and storage of various materials susceptible to contamination en route during deliver or other transport, or during storage, whether for long or short periods of time. Other factors that could affect a substance in transport include product degradation from exposure to mishandling, environmental forces, improper packaging or sealing, known and classified mishandling of degradation events, and generally being no longer fit for use, such as by virtue of product expiration dates or shelf-lives. There is a further need in the art for a method and system for ensuring the integrity of substances especially substances through a supply chain in a non-invasive manner.